Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released today show that in 1996-97 Australia welcomed 85,760 permanent arrivals. This was a decline of 14 per cent on the previous 12 months when there were 99,140 permanent arrivals, but only 2 per cent less than in 1994-95.

When the 29,860 permanent departures for 1996-97 were taken into account, Australia experienced a net permanent gain of 55,900 people, compared to 70,470 in the previous year.

For the second year in a row, New Zealanders were the largest group of permanent arrivals with 13,070 arrivals, 7 per cent more than last year. The number of people coming from the United Kingdom, the second largest group, fell by 14 per cent to 9,680.

Over the last 10 years, an average of 40 per cent of Australia's settlers have come from Asian regions. Over the same period, the Asian born component of Australia's resident population has grown from 3 per cent to 5 per cent.

In 1996-97, permanent arrivals from Asian regions numbered 32,100, a decline of 19 per cent on the previous year. There were 3,600 permanent departures of Asian born people, resulting in a net gain of 28,500 people.

In 1996-97, the net gain of permanent and long term arrivals over departures was 94,400, 14 per cent less than in 1995-96 (109,700). This net gain was the result of 261,000 permanent and long term arrivals and 166,600 permanent and long term departures.

Copies of Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, July 1997 (cat. no. 3401.0) are available from ABS bookshops.